1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to barbecues for cooking, and more particularly to barbecues of the type in which charcoal in briquette or similar form is used as the source of heat for the barbecue.
2. History of the Prior Art
Barbecues which use charcoal in briquette or similar form as the source of cooking heat are well known. Charcoal fueled barbecues provide the advantage that a gas hookup or, alternatively, a large and cumbersome propane tank, are not needed. In particular, charcoal barbecues are ideally suited for remote outdoor locations such as for picnics. Many such barbecues are portable and light weight, enabling them to be transported, such as by car, to the location where they are to be used for cooking. Upon setup of the barbecue, a desired quantity of charcoal is loaded into the barbecue and is ignited, causing the charcoal to burn. When the charcoal is capable of generating sufficient cooking heat, the food to be cooked is typically placed on a cooking grate disposed above the charcoal. When the cooking is finished, the ash generated by the burnt charcoal is disposed of in preparation for the next use of the barbecue.
One problem with charcoal barbecues is getting the charcoal to start and burn quickly so that cooking may commence without substantial delay. To accelerate the process of starting the charcoal, a number of arrangements and techniques have been devised. Typically, the charcoal is ignited while confined in a small container so as to concentrate the heat in a small volume. The charcoal may, for example, be placed in a can-shaped structure positioned above an igniter. When the charcoal is ready for cooking, it is typically spread onto a charcoal grate beneath the cooking grate. In some cases the can-like structure is lifted and turned upside down so as to dump the charcoal onto the charcoal grate, as shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,835 of Stephen et al. In still other cases, mechanisms are provided for spreading the charcoal from the can-like structure onto the charcoal grate, as shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,679 of Ogden, and by U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,807 of Flamenbaum. However, such arrangements leave much to be desired in terms of the lack of ease with which the charcoal can be ignited and initially burned while in a small and confined container and then easily spread onto a charcoal grate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,159 of Knafele, for example, the charcoal is started on an elevator platform which is then raised to a charcoal grill. However, the platform must then be rotated in order to distribute the charcoal over the separate and much larger charcoal grill.
In some cases, a chimney may be provided over the charcoal container in order to promote convection and cause the charcoal to burn faster. Such chimneys must be removed when not in use, typically requiring that they be separately carried and stored.
The charcoal is typically ignited using newspaper or other disposable flammable material. Sheets of newspaper are wadded up and placed under the charcoal. The paper is then set on fire using a match, and the burning paper ignites the charcoal. Paper ignition is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 3,209,743 of Stewart and U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,299 of Tomita. Still other forms of charcoal ignition such as a propane igniter may be used. In any case, however, it would be desirable to provide an arrangement in which paper can be used as the ignition source and, alternatively, in which a propane igniter can be readily coupled to the barbecue to serve as the ignition source.
Disposal of the residual ash and unburned portions of the charcoal after the cooking is finished can be a further problem. Simply turning the barbecue over and dumping the ash and charcoal residue can be cumbersome and messy, if not a fire hazard. Therefore, some barbecues are provided with an ash fallout system as shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,145 of Tomita. Still others provide an ash drawer or other collection apparatus at the bottom thereof, as shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,572 of Hagan. The barbecue is desirably designed so that ash and unburned portions of the charcoal fall down into the ash drawer. This may require open passageways from the charcoal grate down to the ash drawer so that the ash may fall down into the drawer unimpeded. In this connection it would be desirable to be able to scrape and otherwise manipulate the charcoal grate and the inner walls of the kettle or other cooking chamber at the top of the barbecue so as to agitate and dislodge the ash and charcoal and cause it to fall down into the ash drawer.
The ash drawer itself should desirably be designed so that the bottom of the barbecue just above it is closed off and sealed when the ash drawer is removed for disposition of its contents. When the drawer is again installed, the area above the drawer must be opened so as to receive the falling ash.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a quick start barbecue which has a housing with a cooking compartment therein and a cooking grate mounted in the cooking compartment. A foldable charcoal grate is positioned below the cooking grate and is movable between a lower position in which the charcoal grate folds to form a basket for charcoal and an upper position in which the charcoal grate unfolds to form a relatively flat grate for charcoal beneath the cooking grate. An actuator mechanism selectively moves the charcoal grate between the lower and upper positions. Igniting apparatus mounted below the charcoal grate ignites charcoal contained within the charcoal grate while it is in the lower position.
With the charcoal grate folded to form a basket in the lower position, the basket is filled with charcoal and the igniting apparatus is used to light the charcoal. When the charcoal is sufficiently hot and ready for cooking, the actuator mechanism is used to raise the charcoal grate to the upper position in which it unfolds so as to form a relatively flat grate for the charcoal beneath the cooking grate. Cooking may then be carried out.
The charcoal grate may comprise a central hub with a plurality of wire loops configured like flower petals pivotally coupled thereto and extending outwardly therefrom in a circular array. The petals pivot upwardly relative to the hub to form a basket for the charcoal, and pivot downwardly and outwardly relative to the hub to form a relatively flat grate for charcoal. The hub has a plurality of spokes extending outwardly in a circular array. Each of the petals is generally U-shaped, although not necessarily with straight legs, and is pivotally coupled at the free ends of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d to an adjacent pair of the hubs spokes.
The housing may comprise a kettle forming the cooking compartment and an upstanding column coupled to an opening into a lower portion of the kettle at a juncture therewith. The charcoal grate is positioned central to the vertical axis within and vertically movable between a position within the kettle and a position within the upper end of the column adjacent the juncture of the column with the kettle. The petals of the charcoal grate are contained within the column and form a basket for the charcoal when in the lower position. The petals pivot downwardly and outwardly relative to the hub as the charcoal grate is raised into the bottom of the kettle, to form a relatively flat grate for charcoal. The outer ends of the petals engage and reside against an inner wall of the kettle as the charcoal grate is raised into the bottom of the kettle, so that the vertical position of the hub of the charcoal grate within the bottom of the kettle determines the pivoting orientation of the petals relative to the hub.
The actuator mechanism may comprise a shaft centrally disposed and vertically movable within the column and with the hub mounted on an upper end thereof. The actuator mechanism includes an actuating handle coupled to a lower end of the shaft and extending to the outside of the column. The actuator mechanism includes lower and upper stops for the actuating handle, so that the charcoal grate is positioned in the lower position when the actuating handle engages the lower stop and in the upper position when the actuating handle engages the upper stop. The actuator mechanism also includes a rod disposed within a hollow interior of the shaft and fixed at its lower end to the housing. A coil spring is disposed within the hollow interior of the shaft and provides a lifting force to the charcoal basket while it is in the lower position.
The igniting apparatus comprises at least one access hole in the column which provides access to the space within the column and below the charcoal in the basket. The access hole permits wadded up paper to be inserted therethrough and ignited to light charcoal positioned thereabove within the charcoal grate. A platform or basket holds the paper close to the underside of the charcoal basket. The access holes may also function as vent holes to allow ingress of air. The igniting apparatus may also include a propane torch igniter having a bracket detachably coupled to the housing at the access hole and having a nozzle which extends through the access hole to direct flame to the charcoal in the charcoal grate. The bracket has an upper hook and a lower tab respectively extending into upper and lower portions of the access hole to attach the bracket to the housing. The upper hook has a lip portion engaging an inner surface of the housing. Installation of the propane igniter is easily accomplished by inserting the upper hook of the bracket into the upper portion of the access hole so that the lip portion thereof engages the inner surface of the housing, and then lowering the propane igniter so that the lower tab is seated within a lower portion of the access hole. Removal of the propane igniter involves a reverse action in which the propane igniter is raised to remove the lower tab from the lower portion of the access hole, following which the lip portion of the upper hook may be disengaged from the inner surface of the housing to permit removal of the propane igniter.
The barbecue includes an ash drawer mounted at the bottom end of the column for collecting ash from the charcoal grate and from the cooking compartment. The charcoal grate is rotatable and vertically movable to dislodge ash therefrom and from the inner surface of the kettle allowing it to settle into the ash drawer. The rotational and vertical movement of the cooking grate allows safe and easy distribution of the charcoal for cooking when the charcoal grate is raised.
The barbecue may include a pair of shells pivotally joined by a handle assembly and positionable for storage on the outside of the column. The pair of shells are removable from the outside of the column and joinable together to form a chimney mounted in the lower portion of the kettle at the juncture with the column. The handle assembly is spring loaded to normally bias the pair of shells together onto the outside of the column. When the pair of shells are removed from the outside of the column and joined together and mounted in the lower portion of the kettle at the juncture with the column, they form a chimney above the charcoal basket. Such chimney, which is substantially tubular, serves to draw air through the charcoal due to convection which causes the charcoal to ignite faster. The shells are pivotably coupled along a first edge of each, and the handle assembly comprises a pair of handles, each mounted on a different one of the pair of shells adjacent the first edge thereof. The handle assembly includes a spring coupled to each of the pair of handles for biasing the pair of shells into a closed position in which second edges of each shell opposite the first edge thereof are joined together. The second edges of the pair of shells are provided with a tongue and groove interlock.
In addition to the ash drawer, the barbecue preferably includes a gate mounted within the housing above the ash drawer such that the gate is closed to close off the bottom of the lower end of the column whenever the ash drawer is removed from the lower end of the housing. A lift bar coupled to the housing beneath the ash drawer holds the ash drawer against the lower end of the housing to seal off the bottom of the lower end of the housing when the ash drawer is installed in the lower end of the housing. The gate has downwardly projecting front and rear lips. The front lip is contacted by the ash drawer to close the gate upon removal of the ash drawer. The rear lip is contacted by the ash drawer to open the gate upon installation of the ash drawer in the lower end of the housing.